Gurpatwant Singh Pannu

Gurpatwant Singh Pannu
Born	Gurpatwant Singh Pannun c. 1970s Khankot village, Amritsar, Punjab, India
Nationality	American
Citizenship	United States
Occupation	Political activist Lawyer
Organization	Sikhs for Justice (SFJ)
Known for	Promoting the Khalistan movement

Gurpatwant Singh Pannu (also spelled Pannun; born c. 1970s) is an American-based Khalistani separatist, political activist and lawyer who is designated as an individual terrorist by the Government of India. He is the founder and self-styled chief of the banned pro-Khalistan organisation Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), and has served as its general counsel since 2009.

On 1 July 2020, Pannu was designated as an "individual terrorist" by the Government of India under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for promoting secessionism and allegedly encouraging Punjabi Sikh youth to take up arms.

Pannun was the subject of an alleged assassination plot in the United States in 2023. United States authorities said they had thwarted the plot, and American prosecutors later charged a former Indian intelligence official in connection with the alleged attempt.

Early life and background

Pannun was born in the c. 1970s in Khankot village on the outskirts of Amritsar, Punjab, India. His father, Mahinder Singh, was a former employee of the Punjab State Agricultural Marketing Board, also known as the Punjab Mandi Board (PSAMB).

He studied at a local school in Ludhiana and later enrolled at Panjab University, Chandigarh. Pannun moved to the United States in 1992 and subsequently acquired American citizenship. He has also claimed to possess Canadian citizenship, although this has not been independently confirmed.

Activities

Pannun has been actively involved in campaigning for a separate Sikh state called Khalistan. He has organised events and rallies in different parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. He has also been involved in filing lawsuits against Indian officials and institutions in international courts, alleging human rights violations against Sikhs.

Pannun has said that the Narendra Modi government wants him dead and that Indian politicians have threatened him and other Sikh separatists in parliament. The Washington Post has described some of the potential threats as credible.

According to the BBC, Pannun has released hundreds of videos criticising India and offering monetary rewards to people who write anti-India graffiti, hoist Khalistan flags on government buildings, or desecrate the Indian flag.

In October 2020, shortly before the death anniversary of former prime minister Indira Gandhi, Pannun released a video message through his television channel urging Indian students to raise pro-Khalistan slogans and hoist the Khalistan flag in return for an iPhone 12 Mini. The phone was reportedly to include pre-installed Punjab Referendum applications and a virtual private network (VPN) intended to facilitate secure access to the SFJ's voter-registration database, circumventing the Ministry of Home Affairs' ban.

In 2020, the Indian government attached Pannun's properties under Section 51A of the UAPA. Following the flag-hoisting incident during Indian Republic Day celebrations in 2021, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed a chargesheet against six people, including Pannun, under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the UAPA. It was alleged that Pannun financed the incident and illegally transferred money to fuel unrest during the Republic Day events.

The organisation had earlier announced a cash reward of up to $500,000 before India's Independence Day for anyone who hoisted the Khalistan flag at the Red Fort. Smaller cash rewards of up to ₹50,000 were also offered for hoisting Khalistani flags at administrative buildings in Punjab. The money was reportedly to be transferred through Western Union Money Transfer.

In September 2023, a video surfaced in which Pannun called for the "political death" of Prime Minister Modi and two of his ministers. He also claimed responsibility for posters bearing the words "kill India" alongside the names and photographs of Indian diplomats. Pannun denied that the posters incited violence against the diplomats.

In April 2023, Pannun issued a threat to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the latter's visit to Assam. In June 2023, Pannun reportedly went into hiding after the deaths of three other prominent Khalistani leaders within a period of two months.

In July 2023, Pannun resurfaced in a video reportedly filmed near the United Nations headquarters in New York City. In the video, he claimed responsibility for posters calling for the killing of Indian diplomats across North America and Europe. He also stated that he would lead the Khalsa Panth in seeking to separate Khalistan from India and establish its flag at the UN headquarters.

In September 2023, Pannun warned Indo-Canadian Hindus to leave Canada, accusing them of having repudiated their allegiance to Canada. The statement drew condemnation from Canadian politicians, including federal party leaders Pierre Poilievre and Jagmeet Singh. Canada's Public Safety Minister, Dominic LeBlanc, described the video as "offensive and hateful".

In November 2023, Pannun warned individuals planning to travel by Air India on 19 November, the date of the 2023 Cricket World Cup final, that they could face danger. Shortly afterwards, Canada's Transport Minister Pablo Rodriguez and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) announced an investigation into the threat against Air India flights. An RCMP spokesperson stated that the force was working with domestic and international partners and industry stakeholders. Pannun stated that his message was intended to promote a boycott of Air India rather than threaten a bombing.

Assassination attempt

In November 2023, the Financial Times reported that United States authorities had thwarted an alleged plot to kill Pannun in the United States. Federal prosecutors had filed a sealed indictment against a suspect in a federal district court in New York. The newspaper also reported that the United States had issued a diplomatic warning to India over concerns that Indian government officials were involved in the plot.

The report came two months after Canada accused Indian agents of involvement in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen and prominent Khalistan supporter.

A White House spokesperson confirmed that the United States had informed India about the alleged incident sometime after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the United States in June 2023. India's foreign ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said that Indian authorities were examining the information provided by the United States.

In October 2024, the United States charged former Indian intelligence official Vikash Yadav with involvement in the alleged attempted murder of Pannun.

In January 2025, India's Ministry of Home Affairs recommended legal action against an individual allegedly involved in the assassination plot.

Legal issues

In 2020, Pannun was designated as an individual terrorist by the Government of India under the UAPA. His agricultural land was attached under Section 51A of the Act. Pannun rejected the designation.

In October 2022, Interpol rejected India's second request to issue a Red Corner Notice against Pannun on terrorism charges, reportedly citing insufficient information. International criminal law and human rights lawyer Richard Rogers, who represents Pannun, accused India of falsifying evidence through the Interpol red-notice system.

On 9 September 2023, in connection with a legal case filed on 5 April 2020, the NIA confiscated several properties owned by Pannun. These included 46 kanal of agricultural land in Khankot village, Amritsar, and a one-quarter share of a residential property in Chandigarh.

A property confiscation notice was pasted outside Pannun's residence in Sector 15, Chandigarh. The notice stated that his one-quarter share of house number 2033, Sector 15-C, Chandigarh, had been confiscated to the state under Section 33(5) of the UAPA by order of the NIA Special Court, SAS Nagar, Mohali, Punjab, dated 14 September 2023.

The NIA explained that the properties had previously been attached under directions issued by the government in two separate cases. Following court orders under Section 33(5) of the UAPA, the properties were formally confiscated.

Charges

• FIR No. 149, dated 6 July 2017, under Sections 124-A, 153-A, 153-B and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code, Police Station Sohana, SAS Nagar district.
• FIR No. 46, dated 31 May 2018, under Sections 307, 438, 427, 148 and 149 of the Indian Penal Code; Sections 11, 12, 13, 17 and 18 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967; and Sections 25, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act, 1959, Police Station Ranghar Nangal, Batala district.

Sources

• Brar, Kamaldeep Singh (9 September 2020). "In Khankot village, few know of Pannu's ancestral roots". The Indian Express. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
• Lucas, Ryan (27 October 2024). "Sikh separatist, targeted once for assassination, says India still trying to kill him". NPR. Retrieved 14 November 2024.
• "An Exclusive Q&A With Gurpatwant Singh Pannun". TIME. 27 November 2023. Retrieved 14 November 2024.
• Mollan, Cherylann; Yousif, Nadine (18 October 2024). "Gurpatwant Singh Pannu: US charges ex-India agent in Sikh separatist murder plot". BBC News. Retrieved 14 November 2024.
• Pandey, Geeta (21 December 2023). "Gurpatwant Singh Pannun: The Sikh separatist at the centre of US murder plot allegation". BBC News. Retrieved 14 November 2024.
• Mollan, Cherylann (20 December 2023). "Gurpatwant Singh Pannun: Narendra Modi breaks silence on US murder plot allegation". BBC News. Retrieved 14 November 2024.
• Mercer, Greg (17 September 2024). "Indian intelligence officials targeted in New York lawsuit for alleged role in assassination plots". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 17 November 2024.
• Doherty, Will (13 October 2022). "Interpol Denies India's Request". Grossman Young & Hammond. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
• "Transport minister, RCMP say Canada is investigating 'threats' against Air India". CBC. 10 November 2023.
• Yousif, Nadine (22 September 2023). "Incendiary rhetoric on Sikh's murder stokes debate in Canada diaspora". Retrieved 9 May 2025.
• Patel, Shivam (21 November 2023). "India's anti-terror agency files case against Sikh separatist for Air India threat". Reuters. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
• "Government of India Gazette on Individual Terrorists under UAPA" (PDF).
• Mason, Jeff; Patel, Shivam (22 November 2023). "US thwarted plot to kill Sikh separatist in America". Reuters.
• Patel, Shivam (23 November 2023). "FACTBOX Who is Gurpatwant Pannun, target of foiled murder plot in US?". Reuters.
• Miller, Greg (29 April 2024). "An assassination plot on American soil reveals a darker side of Modi's India". The Washington Post. Retrieved 14 November 2024.
• "Officials, politicians denounce 'hateful' video telling Indian Hindus to leave Canada". CBC. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
• Sevastopulo, Demetri (22 November 2023). "US thwarted plot to kill Sikh separatist on American soil". Financial Times. Retrieved 17 November 2024.
• Ellis-Petersen, Hannah (17 October 2024). "US charges former Indian spy allegedly linked to foiled murder plot". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 November 2024.
• Shamim, Sarah (18 October 2024). "Who is Vikash Yadav, Indian agent accused by US in Sikh assassination plot?". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 17 November 2024.
• Lahiri, Tripti (16 January 2025). "India Edges Closer to Acknowledging Role in Plot to Kill American". The Wall Street Journal.